What happened
On May 8, 2014, a Cessna 172, registration F-HJYO, was conducting a private flight from Aix-les-Milles to Fayence aerodrome. The flight included the pilot and two passengers. Upon approaching the destination, the pilot announced his intentions on the self-information frequency and was informed that runway 10 was in service.
During the approach, the pilot determined the aircraft was too high on final approach, leading him to execute a go-around and enter a new circuit. The landing was performed with the flaps set to the maximum 30° position. During the landing sequence, the aircraft bounced. Upon the second contact with the ground, the nose gear struck the runway and broke. The aircraft then slid along the runway before coming to a halt.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters and the pilot's actions during the landing phase. Meteorological conditions at the time were reported as CAVOK with calm winds and a temperature of 21 °C.
The pilot, who had approximately 560 total flight hours with only 15 hours on this specific type, had recently completed several hours of instruction to be released on the aircraft. While the pilot noted that his approach speed was near 80 knots, he believed this was acceptable, as he estimated the appropriate approach speed to be between 70 and 75 knots. However, the aircraft's flight manual recommends an approach speed of 60 to 70 knots when flaps are extended.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was inappropriate control inputs following the bounce.
- An excessive approach speed, partially caused by the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft's performance characteristics, contributed to the accident.